How Did Booker T Washington Contribute To The Advancement Of Civil Rights

Another key factor for the advancement of civil rights for African Americans between 1880 -1980 was Booker T. Washington. First and foremost, he was a slave born on a Virginia farm, Washington in 1856. He rose to become one of the most prominent African-American civil rights activists of the late 19th century. In 1881, he established the Tuskegee Institute, a black school in Alabama that was dedicated to training teachers. Washington was keen on bringing the finest teachers to Tuskegee because he was dedicated to learning and had the desire to help others who shared his mutual view to have the best education. He also believed that a little self-help was needed for a person to get a good education and rise to the top. People called him the "Wizard

However, a black leader who didn’t agree with Washington’s view was William Du Bois. In 1903, William Du Bois published the essay, "Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others," in his book ‘The Souls of Black Folk’. He criticised Washington for failing to realise that without political power, economic gains were short-lived and vulnerable. In a time of increasing discrimination and racial violence, Du Bois argued, blacks must press for civil rights rather than accommodate

William Du Bois and other black activists formed the Nation Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) in 1909. The aims of the NAACP were “to make 1,000,000 Americans physically free from peonage, mentally free from ignorance, politically free from disenfranchisement, and socially free from insult.” By 1919 the NAACP had 90,000 members in 300 branches. The NAACP challenged white supremacy, especially the segregation laws, and made black Americans much more aware of their civil right, especially the right to vote. The NAACP also campaigned against the practice of lynching in the southern states. When the film, The Birth of a Nation came out in 1915, it revived the Klu Klux Klan (KKK). This film reinforced the idea of white supremacy and attracted huge audiences. The number of lynchings also increased noticeably. The NAACP campaigned against the film and asked people to boycott it. In 1930, Walter White became the new leader of the NAACP. He was able to raise the profile of the NAACP but the Anti-Lynching Bills were rejected by the Senate in 1937 and 1940. Walter White encouraged blacks to challenge discrimination through the courts and he also challenged the unequal funding in